To Protect
by LilyTheNinjaGirl
Summary: This man had set down his wand and made himself vulnerable, and he had jumped in front of a curse for Credence. That's how Credence knew he could trust him. Graves would never take a curse for him. Goodness knows Ma would never suffer for him. Credence couldn't let Newt suffer any longer. Alternate ending to FB. Credence's POV. Rated T for torture. No slash. Two-shot.
1. To Protect Part I

**To Protect**

 **A/N: Hello everyone! Writing from Credence's POV was something I found very challenging to do, as we don't see a lot of him in the movie before his untimely death. I tried my best.**

 **I know that literally** ** _everyone_** **has written an alternate ending to this movie where Newt gets more hurt and/or Credence survives, but every person writes differently and I've read many different fics/oneshots with similar plots, and they are all wonderful and unique in their own way.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Part I**

Credence slammed through the solid brick road and smashed into the subway tunnel below. The dark mass of suppressed magic left a gaping hole in its wake as it spiraled through the empty tunnels. It finally stopped against a wall. Credence pressed himself (or the shreds of black, swirly smoke that was left of him) against the cold brick, hoping to sink through and disappear forever. Tears streamed down his face.

After years of abuse and abandonment, he thought he had found his way out. He had found a person who didn't spit on him and call him a freak, who didn't leave angry red welts across his back every time they spoke. He had long ago given up on his life, and given up on humanity in turn. He had resigned himself to a horrible life full of pain and self-loathing.

Meeting Mr. Graves was the best thing that had ever happened to Credence. Or so he thought. He was desperate for someone, _something_ , out there to prove that his Ma was wrong. That he wasn't a child of the devil. That he didn't deserve the beatings that he got. Finally, there was an out. There was a chance that perhaps he was different that most people. That maybe he wasn't a freak. He had even started to trust Graves a bit.

But like always, any sort of trust or hope Credence had placed in another human being had completely backfired. Graves didn't care about Credence. He cared about how he could use Credence to his advantage. Just like Ma didn't care about Credence. She only cared about how she could use him to her advantage. Just like how _nobody_ cared about Credence, they just cared about what they could use him for. And since Credence was useless, he didn't deserve to live. He deserved the beatings he got. He deserved the mean, ugly words and the harsh stares.

Curling in on himself, Credence began to slowly shift back into human form. He was nothing but an empty shell. All he could do was destroy. All he could do was bring people misery. All he could do was suffer.

The sound of footsteps snapped him out of his self-loathing. He tensed, ready to uncoil the horrible bubbling black mass and strike. Out of the shadows appeared a man. He was wearing a bright blue coat, which struck Credence as odd because he had only ever seen people wear dark, drab clothing. Colorful clothing was extravagance, something that Ma had labeled as a grievous sin. The man had reddish-brown hair and calm, honest eyes. Credence was still wary.

"Credence." The man had a soft voice and a heavy British accent. That also struck Credence as odd. Foreigners didn't come to New York often. He tilted his chin ever so slightly, trembling and trying to decide whether or not to whisk himself away again. "Credence, can I come over there?" the man asked.

Credence was so shocked that some of the swirling mass of black calmed and disappeared. No one had ever _asked_ if they could come over to him. They always came right over to cuff him on the face or pull the belt from around his waist to use it on his back. No one cared about his personal space, or his human dignity. They trampled all over him. And so even though Credence's fight-or-flight- instincts were screaming FLIGHT, he stayed still just a second longer.

Then something amazing happened.

The wizard (that's what he was, Credence concluded, seeing his wand) took the thin piece of wood that Credence had developed a deathly fear of, and _set it down_.

He _set the wand down_. His only source of protection (or escape) from Credence was being thrown away. He had made himself completely vulnerable. Credence could kill him right now if he wanted to. But he didn't. And maybe the wizard had known he wouldn't. But for someone to throw away their only source of protection and step closer to the monstrous Credence Barebones… that had never happened before.

"Can I come over there?"

The request was repeated. A request, not a demand. Credence watched him through puffy, narrowed eyes. This man must have an angle. They all had an angle. Humans were greedy, malicious creatures. They cared nothing for you if you didn't have something they wanted. So what did this man want from him? What was his angle?

The man took a step forward, and Credence flinched. All of the sudden, a flash of lightning came out of nowhere and struck the red-haired wizard in the chest. He flew backwards at least eight feet before landing on his back on the railroad tracks. As Graves came running out of the shadows, Credence took off. He was too scared to shift back into his Obscurial form, because he didn't know what he might do.

When he had first run from Graves, he hadn't cared about who he injured or killed. He just wanted to run, run, run away and punish everyone who had ever hurt him. But all of the sudden Credence felt the need to remain in control. He didn't want to hurt the man who had put down his wand and spoken softly. He didn't know why. His brain couldn't process any of the choices he was making as he ran away, footsteps echoing as his worn-out shoes pounded against the train tracks. He saw another flash of light and heard someone yell in pain. _The British man_ , Credence thought.

All of the sudden Credence looked up and came face to face with the headlights of a train. Frozen in panic, he could only watch as his death came nearer and nearer. This was it, a sweet release from all of his suffering. But at the last possible second, some magical force lifted him and tossed him out of the way. He stood frozen where he stood, body trembling and his mind a mess of panic. Graves appeared around the corner, and shot a bolt of lightning directly at him.

Before Credence even had time to think about moving, a blue blur jumped in front of him and deflected the hit. Graves shot more lightning, wand flashing through the air as his strokes came fast and deadly. The wizard in blue managed to block them all, but just barely. Credence could do nothing but watch the situation with frenzied eyes, barely registering what was going on. He could feel the magic inside of him, fighting for control of his body. He fought back as hard as he could, muscles spasming wildly as he fought for control of his own nervous system.

Finally, Graves got tired of throwing lightning. With just a flick of his wrist he magically yanked the train tracks out of the ground and sent the heavy steels beams and pounds of heavy brick flying towards the British man. The Brit never had a chance, having just dodged a lightning bolt two seconds earlier. The metal and brick hit him with a sickening sound and he was again thrown backwards several feet, where he landed harshly on the ground. He did not get up.

Graves immediately took advantage of the other wizard's pain and disorientation to re-engage his lightning attacks. The first one hit the red-head straight on, and he grunted in pain. His body spasmed and his shaking hands tried to bring his wand to his face. He managed to partially block two more lightning bolts before another one hit him. He was writhing around in the dirt, the electricity coursing through his body. He took another lightning bolt to the chest and this time he could not contain his screams. He rolled, trying to dodge more lightning as it came flying towards him. He wasn't successful.

Credence could feel himself completely losing control. He gave in, allowing his inner demons to come out as his body was replaced by the Obscurus. He spotted Graves, who uttered his name, and tried to descend upon him and kill the man once and for all. Graves disappeared right before Credence could reach him. Credence felt anger. He felt rage. Years of pent up rage, of hiding his magic and suffering. He wanted revenge. He wanted to destroy the whole world, and everything in it.

He had already killed Mr. Shaw and Ma. Next was Graves. After that, he would hunt down every single person who had given him a weird look or a harsh word. They would all suffer. They would all die. Credence knew that it was wrong, but he didn't care. He knew the Obscurus was messing with his mind. He couldn't fight it anymore. There was nothing to fight for. Credence would rather die.

He dove at Graves again, bouncing off of a wall and tearing through several more support columns. He shot straight up in the air, making another gaping hole in the ground. He aimed for the night sky, but was pushed downward by some magical force-field. Panicking and seized with rage, Credence threw himself back towards the previously made hole, disappearing into the subway again. He could hear the terrified screams of the people above.

He spotted Graves, and the only reason he didn't instantly destroy him was because the man in blue was crouching in front of him. Graves kicked the other wizard in the face, and he fell to his side. A well-cast bolt of lightning sent the Brit into another round of spasming and screaming. Credence prepared to charge Graves, but Graves reached out and pulled the wizard in blue to his feet. The tip of Grave's wand was aimed at the wizard's throat, and the wizard's whole body acted as a shield for Graves'.

"Credence, I'm afraid that if you harm me Mr. Scamander will meet quite an untimely death," Graves said calmly.

"NEWT!" a voice screamed. Both Credence and Graves turned to see a lady running towards them. Credence recognized her instantly. She was the woman who had stood up to Ma and tried to stop her from beating him. She was the only human who had ever shown Credence kindness. Now she was running down the tracks, eyes fearful for the wizard in blue (Newt, he was called). Before she could get within twenty feet, Graves had flicked his wand away from Newt's neck for a second and ropes appeared and wrapped around the woman, tying her to a column.

"Now Credence, I really am sorry for what I said earlier," Graves amended in a quiet voice. "I don't want for you to suffer. I don't want to see you in pain. I want to see you happy. You deserve to be in the wizarding world. You deserve to be at the top of the wizarding world! Join me, and we can rule together!"

"Don't d-do it. Don't… list….listen….to him," Newt managed to cough out. His whole body was shaking, and it seemed as though Graves' arm was the only thing keeping him upright. Credence's theory was confirmed a few seconds later when Graves released Newt, allowing the man to fall face first to the pavement below. Newt grunted, but lay still.

"If you won't join me out of will, maybe you'll join me out of fear. Let me give you a demonstration of what I mean," he turned towards Newt, who had placed two hands on the ground and was trying to lift himself into a crouching position. His arms gave out and he fell back onto the cold concrete. Graves smiled.

"NO! GRAVES, DON'T DO THIS!" the woman yelled. Graves ignored her.

"CRUCIO!" he yelled, and a blast of light shot towards the poor wizard on the ground. The Cruciatus Curse hit Newt with full-force, and a blood-curdling scream escaped his mouth. His whole body jerked violently and he tried to curl up on himself. After a few minutes, he was reduced to a whimpering ball of tangled limbs and messy red hair. Graves turned back to Credence, looking extremely satisfied.

"Was that pleasant to watch, Credence? You know I'd never use that spell on you, you're too special. On him, however, I could use it all day. Maybe I'll use it on Ms. Goldstein next," he jerked his head in the direction of the woman in grey, who was sobbing and calling Newt's name. Graves turned and looked directly at the swirling black form of Credence. "I wonder how long Modesty would last?"

Credence felt his blood run cold. The black mass swirled around, clearly agitated. Graves laughed, a long, echoing laugh. "I see you're not convinced quite yet. Maybe seeing it again. CRUCIO!"

Newt's screams echoed off of the walls of the tunnel. His face was streaked with tears and he looked on the brink of complete mental collapse, and even physical death. All of his muscles were pulsating with dark energy from the Cruciatus Curse and electricity from the earlier lighting attacks. The arm that he had landed on when Graves had dropped him was bent at a weird angle, and Credence winced when it bent a little further as a result of him writhing around. Graves flung another round of lightning at him, and this time Newt didn't stop screaming.

Ms. Goldstein's own screams could barely be heard over Newt's. "CREDENCE PLEASE! WE CAN HELP YOU! JUST STOP GRAVES! PLEASE, STOP HIM! NEWT CAN'T TAKE ANYMORE!"

Credence's mind was made up. Even with Graves using Newt as a personal shield, he would attack. He couldn't let this man suffer any longer. This man who had jumped in front of lightning for him and who continued to suffer because of him. Credence couldn't let him die. Because this man had set down his wand and made himself vulnerable, and he had jumped in front of a curse for Credence. That's how Credence knew he could trust him. Graves would never take a curse for him. Goodness knows Ma would never suffer for him. Credence couldn't let this man suffer any longer.

With a roar, he rushed forward. Graves yanked the completely limp Newt off of the ground and held his broken body in front of his own, but Credence wasn't deterred. He tried to avoid Newt as much as possible as he viscously attacked Graves. He slashed and cut, and he could feel the power of the Obscurus coursing through him as the body was mangled. Finally, Credence was satisfied and he retreated. Graves fell to the floor, and subsequently so did Newt. But unlike Graves, who was completely dead and whose flesh was mottled and distorted, Newt was alive. The Obscurial had done some damage to Newt, but he was breathing.

Credence felt the adrenaline drain from his system almost immediately. He was dumped back into his human form, and he stumbled forwards, landing on his knees. His vision blurred and his breaths came in gasps. Finally, everything faded to black.

 **A/N: Part II is already written, I just need to proof-read it. The more reviews, the more motivation I'll have to proofread and post it.**


	2. To Protect Part II

**A/N: Hey guys! Here is the promised Part II! I had the write the difficult chapter of Credence's reaction to everything. It was hard because we see Credence in a calmer state, which we don't see a lot of in the movie so yeah... I also wanted some Queenie and Credence interaction because I feel like Queenie is a natural healer, and Credence's injuries are mostly mental. So Queenie, being a Legilimens, will be the perfect person to help him on the road to recovery. Not that Tina and Credence won't be great friends. I just figured Tina would be glued to Newt while he was in the hospital. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this!**

 **Part II**

When Credence regained consciousness, he was aware of two things. One; he was laying on his back, and two; someone was running their fingers through his hair. It was a foreign feeling to have someone touch his head, and he didn't quite like it. The hand moved immediately.

"I'm sorry honey, I didn't know," a soft voice spoke from somewhere on his left. Credence nearly choked, and he struggled to open his eyes. As soon as he forced them open, bright light assaulted his vision. After being blind for a few seconds, everything came more into focus. He could see a white wall and a white ceiling. He could also see a smiling face. But unlike usual, this smile wasn't wicked or filled with pity. It was sincere. The smile was attached to a bright face, wreathed in blonde hair.

"Where….where am I?" Credence coughed. His throat felt dry and tight. The woman held a water bottle up for him to drink almost immediately. The cool liquid felt wonderful on his throat. He felt guilty that was enjoying it. Ma always said never to eat or drink things that made you feel wonderful, because you would become spoiled and gluttonous.

"How do you feel?" the blonde woman asked, breaking him from his thoughts. "I'm Queenie, by the way. Queenie Goldstein. May I call you Credence?"

"Yes," Credence stammered. "I feel…" he paused, not really knowing what to say. No one had ever asked him how he felt before. "Where am I?" he repeated again instead of answering the question. He was still a little afraid. He could feel the Obscurus inside of him, all wound up and ready to let loose if the slightest thing set him off.

"You're in the hospital, honey. You gave your body quite a hard time with all that exertion," Queenie told him. Credence furrowed his eyebrows. Suddenly, everything came back to him.

"Where's the man in the blue coat? Where's Newt?" he asked anxiously. Queenie placed her hand on one of his, and he flinched from the sudden contact. She left it there, however.

"Newt will be okay. His body sustained a lot more damage than yours, but most of it is fixable. His broken arm was probably the easiest thing to treat. They have him on Skelo-grow. It grows and fixes broken bones, see?" Queenie smiled as she saw the wonder and amazement on his face. "They had to use a lot of spells to clear his body of the electricity. His heart stopped twice, but they started it again. Right now he's in a stable condition. The doctors are just keeping an eye on him because he's having a little trouble breathing."

Credence curled his fists into balls. "This is all my fault," he mumbled. "All my fault. That he's hurt. He shouldn't have protected me. I'm not worth it. And now he's hurt."

"It's not your fault! Newt wouldn't have protected you if you weren't worth protecting," Queenie said quietly. "Newt…. He doesn't like people that much. Well, it's not as much that he doesn't like them and more that he's not comfortable around them. I think that you can relate to that. My point is, if he tried that hard to defend you than you must be something special."

Credence recoiled immediately. "That's what Mr. Graves said," he told her angrily. "He told me I was special, and then he hit me and left." Tears started forming in his eyes.

"That wasn't Mr. Graves, Credence. That was Gellert Grindelwald. You've probably never heard of him, but he was the worst dark wizard the world has ever had. He was twisted in the head. Most witches and wizards aren't like him at all, honey. They'd be happy to have you join the wizarding community."

"He _was_ the worst dark wizard?"

"Well, thanks to you he's dead now. The world is finally safe!" she announced happily.

"What about the other people I killed?" Credence asked quietly. "What are they going to do to me? Will I go to jail?"

"I'm not exactly sure," Queenie admitted. "You won't go to jail. The good news is that we prevented a no-Maj and wizard war. Newt has been slipping in and out of consciousness, but he gave our friend Jacob instructions on how to use one of his creatures and some venom to obliviate the city. So no one remembers anything. Except for Jacob. He requested that he wouldn't be obliviated until after he made sure Newt was okay."

"What's obliviate?" Credence asked curiously.

"Oh I'm so sorry! I should've explained better. Obliviation is when magical memories are removed from No-Maj minds," Queenie said. "Anyway, since you killed Grindelwald and removed the largest threat to the wizarding world that has ever existed, a lot of people want to make you a hero."

Credence nearly choked again. "A hero? But I didn't do anything…. I just wanted to stop him from hurting Newt." Suddenly Credence's eyes widened. "How much damage did I do to Newt?"

Queenie swallowed. "It's really not important, honey. He's healing! That's the good ne-"

"How much damage?"

"Well," Queenie began tentatively, "He'll have some scars, although if it makes you feel better he already has so many scars that it'll hardly make a difference. We think that the Obscurus might have accidentally damaged something in his lungs, and that's what's causing the breathing problems."

"Oh," Credence said softly. He felt numb inside.

"It's not your fault," Queenie reiterated. "He might be dead if you hadn't stopped Graves."

Suddenly, the door swung open. The woman that Credence recognized to be Tina Goldstein stood there, looking very exhausted and disheveled. Her hair was a mess, there were dark circles under her eyes, and her face was gaunt and thin. "Newt's awake," she said, sounding relieved. "He's asking for Credence."

"Me?" Credence asked, gulping. Tina nodded.

"Can you stand?" Queenie asked. Credence nodded determinedly, swiveling so that he could put his legs on the ground. He shakily rose to his feet, and Queenie steadied him with a hand on his shoulder. Tina led both of them through twisty, white corridors until they came to Newt's room. She barged on in without knocking. Queenie followed her, But Credence stayed by the door.

Newt was lying on the bed, looking like he had gone to hell and back. His hair was no longer full of dirt and mud, but it hung in his face and Credence noticed he seemed to be using his bangs as a shield against all of the concerned faces around him. His face was pale, he looked like he was in pain, and his left arm was wrapped in plaster. His chest wasn't rising and falling in a perfectly steady pattern, either. He greeted Queenie somewhat cheerfully, with a reserved but sincere smile. Then he spotted Credence.

They made eye contact for just a second. Newt dropped it almost immediately. Credence was used to being the first one to break eye contact with people, so now he knew how it felt. "Credence, are you alright?" Newt asked softly.

"I think so," Credence whispered. He didn't quite know what to say. He glanced at Queenie for help, and she mouthed the words 'Thank you'. "Oh… uh… thank you," he stammered. Newt smiled again softly.

"You're welcome. It was no trouble, really. I wish I could've done more," Newt said, almost sadly. Credence was shocked. He finally blurted out the question that had been lingering in his mind.

"Why?"

"Why what?" Newt responded, peeking up from underneath his bangs with a confused look on his face.

"Why did you protect me?" Credence asked, a little louder this time.

"Ah," Newt said, catching on. "Well, because you were hurting. And I don't like to see people hurting. I may fancy creatures a lot more than people but that doesn't mean I'll stand idly by while someone is suffering. I wanted to help you, Credence. I've met someone like you before, and I knew I could help."

"But what if I'm not worth helping?" he mumbled, almost to himself more than anyone else.

"But what if you are?" Newt countered.

"I'm broken," Credence admitted. He felt a lot safer in this room than he had anywhere else in his life, even with the strange overweight man in the corner. He needed to tell them that he wasn't okay. That he wasn't worth their time. If he could leave now, he couldn't be betrayed by them later. He hoped this wasn't all some sort of sick trap. He didn't think it was. But he didn't want to take any chances. "I'm not like other teenagers. I'm dangerous, and I can't control the thing inside me. I'm a freak."

"I can teach you how to control it," Newt offered. "I understand how you feel. You've been taken advantage of and hurt your whole life. Trust me, I know how it is to be taken advantage of and to be bullied and beaten. I'm still not quite over my past. But I have friends now, people to help me through. Will you let us be your friends, Credence?"

"I was called a freak in school too," Tina piped up from the corner. "I just felt so alone. Even with Queenie. I hate feeling alone. You shouldn't ever have to feel alone. You can trust us."

"I know you haven't even met me, kid. But you seem like a swell guy. I can never thank yous enough for saving Newt," the man in the corner spoke.

Credence looked around at all of the faces in the room. They all looked sincere. They all looked welcome. He didn't know what to do or say. He didn't know how to react to kindness. No one had ever been kind to him before. He was still a little scared. Scared that he would disappoint them and they would leave. Scared that he wouldn't be able to fulfill their expectations because he was cowardly and quiet. Scared that he would wake up and all of this would be a dream.

"You ain't dreaming, honey," Queenie said. Credence looked up. How did she know what he was just thinking?

"You belong in the magical world, Credence," Tina added. "Newt, he knows about people like you. He can help you. We can teach you magic."

"Graves… he said I was a Squib…." Credence confessed. There it was. Now they would all surely abandon him. Tina snorted and Queenie actually started laughing.

"Honey, if you was a Squib you wouldn't be an an Obscurial!" Queenie giggled.

"Obscurus' are magic that has been suppressed," Newt explained. "Squibs don't have any powers. You're definitely a wizard, Credence. A very powerful one too."

"Oh."

"So how about it Credence? Would you like to stay with us for awhile?" Tina asked. "When Newt gets discharged from the hospital he's going to stay at our place for a few months. His body is still severely weakened, and he'll need help in that case of his!" She gestured to a suitcase sitting next to Newt's bed.

"Oh, you're just gonna love the case!" Queenie squealed.

"Anyway, you're more than welcome to stay. We have a guest bedroom with two beds, and since Jacob will be staying at his own house, we have room for you. Actually, you would be doing us a huge favor. You can keep an eye on Newt at night."

"Like, watch out for him?" Credence asked nervously. He couldn't be trusted with a job like that. What if Newt started feeling bad again and he didn't know what to do?

"It would be a rather hard job. I've been told I'm a terrible patient," Newt admitted sheepishly. Tina nodded, sighing. "But I would love to able to help you learn more about your power and how to harness it. I know it's a lot to ask you to come with us. I don't blame you if you don't trust us yet. People aren't easy to trust…"

Credence watched as Newt's facial expression fell. His heart felt a little bit lighter. This seemed like person who understood him a little bit. Almost like… they related. Like Credence wasn't alone in his struggles. Like he wasn't a freak. He almost smiled, but he wasn't quite there yet. Maybe one day he would learn to smile.

"What do you say?" Tina asked.

"I promise that I'll always protect you," Newt said earnestly from his bed. "I'll never, ever leave you."

Credence took in a deep breath and let it out. "Okay."

And thus began a new, exciting, and wonderful life for Credence.

 **If I get enough reviews and I know that people are enjoying this I will write more. Probably some injured and bad patient!Newt and Credence recovering. Credence in the suitcase, Tina and Credence bonding, Jacqueenie. Whatever you guys want. Let me know.**


	3. To Heal Part I

**To Heal Part I**

Credence felt weird and uncomfortable when the Medi-Witches checked his vitals one last time before releasing him. He had never had a problem with being around people. As a New Yorker who often roamed the streets to hand out pamphlets, he interacted with people all the time. He just felt a little jumpy and war. He felt unpredictable, even to himself. It was clear that the Medi-Witches were being careful around him as well.

Queenie stayed with him the whole time, which he really appreciated. There was something comforting about her. Maybe it was because she spoke softly and seemed so innocent and happy. She was like many of the happy young women he saw in the city; the type of people who wouldn't hurt a fly. She just seemed so trustworthy. He was genuinely freaked out when she explained that she could read minds, and almost had a panic attack. Then he realized that she could have hidden it from him and read his mind whenever she wanted, but she _told him_ about it _._ She also promised to try not to read it unless he was okay with it.

Credence was awe-struck as she explained more about her powers. He was also awestruck as the Medi-Witches used magic to examine his vitals. Even right now, as he was sitting in Newt's hospital room, he was fascinated as he watched Tina re-warm her coffee with a simple flick of her wand. It was all so incredible and _magical_ and Credence wanted so badly to learn how to do all of it. That's really the only thing that kept him going through all of his grief and anxiety. Newt had promised to teach him _magic_.

"Newt for the last time your creatures are all fine!" Tina huffed, as the red-head once again suggested a trip down into the case. "You can't go anywhere while connected to IVs and things! Dougal helped Jacob and I feed everyone and we followed your journal to the letter!"

"But one of the mooncalves is pregnant and I really need to check on-"

"Nothing. You're not going anywhere. If something needs checking you'll tell me, Jacob, or Queenie and we'll check on it for you," Tina stated firmly. Newt slumped back against his pillows, resigning to his defeat. His pale face was full of disappointment. He also looked a little unsure of how to respond, like he wasn't used to people caring for him. Queenie glanced up at Credence and gave him a small nod. He was confused before he realized she had read his thoughts. The realization startled him.

"Oh my goodness I'm sorry!" Queenie apologized swiftly, clapping a hand on her mouth. "I can't always help it!"

"It's a little hard to get used to, but it ain't so bad," Jacob commented from the corner. Credence also liked Jacob. The man laughed a lot and he gave Credence a little pastry with powdered sugar on it. For Credence (who had never been given sweet things) it was like a little bit of paradise. Queenie grinned at Jacob, who gave her his own gooey smile in return. Tina looked uncomfortable and fidgety, but Newt almost seemed to be smirking softly while watching the two of them.

"It's quite late. I would hate for you all to lose even more sleep over me," Newt told them. Tina glanced at her watch.

"We don't mind, honey," Queenie reassured him.

"I have work tomorrow…" Tina sighed heavily. "I suppose I do need one good night of sleep before I have to face all of the paperwork and statements about what happened. I will be taking this suitcase with me, Newton Scamander. If anything escapes now Madame Picquery will have your head."

"Can I keep Pickett?" Newt asked anxiously. Pickett, who was curled up in Newt's hair, chirped eagerly and wound himself further into Newt's bangs.

"I don't think he'd let us separate you anyway," Tina relented. "Just keep him out of sight of the hospital staff." Newt nodded and beamed while Pickett chirped happily. "Good. Credence, you're more than welcome to come home with me and Queenie."

"Okay," Credence agreed. He felt hesitant to impose but he didn't want to be separated from this group of witches, a wizard, and a No-Maj. He felt inexplicably trusting of them, and he didn't feel safe unless one of them was near.

"I need to be heading home…." Jacob admitted sadly. "It's been four days since the Grindelwald incident. I've missed four days of work. If I even still have a job."

"He won't be Obliviated, will he?" Queenie asked, eyes widening.

Tina bit her lip as she wavered. She knew as an employee of the law that the laws were there for a reason and very important to follow. Not a single No-Maj could know about the Wizarding world. But on the other hand, she didn't think Jacob was any sort of threat. It would break Queenie's heart to lose him. But she had only known him for a few days. How deep could her affection really be? And if she continued to have a relationship with him and MACUSA found out, Queenie could be arrested. So it was really better for her sister's sake that Jacob be Obliviated.

"No it wouldn't be!" Queenie cried out, and Tina realized her mistake. Tears were welling up in Queenie's pretty eyes, and she clung to Jacob's arm. "If you so much as try to Obliviate him I'll Apparate right here and now. We'll hide! We'll go somewhere, anywhere!"

"It's alright Queenie," Jacob said calmly, removing her arm from his own. "I was never even supposed to see…. any of this. I mean, everyone knows that Newt only kept me around because…." He paused. "Hey Newt, why did you keep me around?"

"Because I like you," Newt replied immediately, struggling to find the words for what he felt in his heart. "Because you're my friend."

"Oh…" Jacob responded, and his voice sounded choked up. A river of tears threatened to break loose. Queenie laughed nervously, her own cheeks damp. Tina watched helplessly. "There's loads like me," Jacob said finally. "You'll find someone else. It'll be okay. I promise."

"No," Queenie said, on the verge of a breakdown. "There's only one like you!" Her hands clenched his arms, begging him not to leave with her eyes. He gave her a watery smile before gently removing her delicate fingers. "Jacob." Queenie's voice cracked as she took a step closer to him and pressed her lips to his. Time froze and Newt sniffed in the background and wiped his eyes a bit as they kissed tenderly.

When they broke apart, Jacob ordered Queenie to stay here and he left. They knew where he was going. The hospital had a section for No-Maj's that had magical injuries, and there was an Obliviation section right there to Obliviate them once their injuries had healed. Madame Picquery had given express orders for Jacob to be taken there once he knew that Newt was alright. As soon as he was out of sight, Queenie let out a heart-wrenching sob and apparated before Tina could say anything.

Credence felt like an intruder on the depressing situation. He nervously played with the buttons on his sleeves and kept his eyes on the ground. They stayed quiet for several minutes before Newt broke the silence.

"Tina, go home. Get some sleep. Queenie will need you well-rested more than ever. And Credence, you need to sleep too. I can't teach magic to an exhausted wizard."

"You won't be teaching magic to anyone for a few days, until you feel better," Tina said half-heartedly, like she didn't have the strength to argue with a difficult patient anymore. "C'mon Credence, I'll apparate us home." Credence stood and Tina gripped his arm before there was a _CRACK_ and then all of the colors around Credence blurred and flashed until all the sudden he felt himself stumbling forward. As his vision cleared he managed to grab a railing to keep from falling flat on his face. Looking up, he was in a decent looking apartment-building hallway. Tina opened a plain wooden door and invited Credence inside the apartment.

"You'll be staying here," she told him, pointing to a bed on the right side of the room. The covers were unmade and there was a book with moving pictures on it sitting on the pillow. He could hear sobs coming from somewhere else in the apartment. He shuffled over to the bed, awkwardly sitting on the end of it. He didn't notice that Tina had disappeared until she reappeared holding some sweatpants and a cotton t-shirt. "Here you go, I thought this might be a bit more comfortable to sleep in than your dress shirt and pants."

"Thank you," Credence responded softly, remembering his manners. He accepted the clothes.

"Bathroom is down the hall on the left. Our room is on the right. If you need any coffee or tea feel free to make some if you can. Or ask me. There's food in the fridge if you get hungry. Help yourself to whatever you want. I'll be comforting Queenie if you need me. Don't be afraid to ask for anything. Have a good night," Tina rambled. She smiled awkwardly at him and then left. He stood there by the bed, picking at the fabric of the t-shirt.

Finally, he decided to go to the bathroom and change. The clothes fit him well enough, although he could tell they were made for a woman. They didn't look weird on him, so he ignored it. He washed his face, and he would have brushed his teeth but he didn't have a toothbrush so he just rinsed out his mouth with some water. Finally, he returned to the spare room, where he left his clothes folded neatly on a chair that was in the corner. He flicked the lights off and climbed into bed.

He could hear muffled sobs and soft voices coming from the other room, and he knew it was Tina trying to comfort Queenie. He still didn't really understand the whole situation with Jacob. He didn't think that Jacob was coming back though, and that made Credence sad because Jacob was nice to him. He wondered if Newt was sleeping well. He wondered where Modesty was right now. He hoped that she was okay. Maybe he would ask Tina in the morning.

Despite being in a foreign place with people who were practically strangers, Credence felt more at home than he had in years. Here he was, with fellow wizards and witches. They were _kind_ to him and tried to make him feel comfortable. The thought almost made him smile a bit. He could still feel the suppressed magic inside of him, swirling around and taunting him with thoughts of escape. He ignored it, hoping that Newt could make it go away. With that comforting thought, Credence fell asleep.

#

The next morning, Credence woke up to a loud tapping noise. Dragging his eyelids open, he noticed the light streaming through the window and his first thought was that he had overslept and that Ma was about to burst in and beat him senseless for his laziness. He bolted upright, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and taking three rushed steps before he realized that he wasn't in his cramped and dusty room at the Second Salemer's building. He was in Tina and Queenie Goldstein's apartment. Ma was dead. He was safe. Safe.

He felt his panic level diminish. He could still hear tapping though, so he cracked open the door and peeked outside. There was no one in the kitchen. The tapping sound continued, and Credence's eyes swiveled to the window. There was a very done looking owl sitting outside, with a newspaper in its beak. Credence rubbed his eyes and blinked a few times. He had never seen an owl before. He had seen pictures of them, but he had never expected to see one in the city.

"Oh, that's just the mail owl," Tina commented, swooping around him and into the kitchen. "You can go ahead and open the window. Give him this." She handed Credence a small bronze coin. There were funny symbols and words printed on it. He trudged over to the window. He always had to get the mail for Ma, but somehow retrieving it as a favor for his new friend from the beak of an owl seemed much more fun. He opened the window and cautiously took the newspaper from the little brown bird. The owl stuck his leg out, and Credence saw a little leather pouch there. He slipped the coin inside of the pouch. The bird hooted once and then took off, flying out of sight around the corner. Credence closed the window and took the paper to Tina.

"Thank you!" Tina said, giving him a smile. Credence's heart leapt. She was grateful that he had done something for her! It made Credence feel good inside, which helped him block the unsettling feeling of the Obscurus. "Would you like coffee?" she asked absentmindedly, pouring herself a cup while skimming the newspaper headlines.

"No thank you," he declined. He had only tried coffee once, but he hadn't really liked it.

Tina took a sip of coffee before handing him the paper. "Here you go, you can read it if you want. You're one of the headlines."

Credence reached eagerly for the paper, wanting to take another glimpse into the wizarding community. He also felt a sense of dread as he remembered what he had done. He skimmed through the headlines and the articles. They were all about Grindelwald's death, Newt's creatures, how Grindelwald had tortured him, and Credence. There were a few pictures there, of Grindelwald's dead body, Newt lying on a stretcher covered in blood and bruises, Tina as she tried to usher the newspaper wizards away from the scene, and Credence lying prostrate on the train tracks.

"What's going to happen to me?" Credence asked Tina. She looked up from the eggs she was cooking.

"I don't know," she admitted. It was the same answer he had gotten from Queenie. "They've been debating it. I'll know the final verdict when I go to work today. Speaking of which, I have to leave for work soon. Queenie cried herself to sleep and still hasn't woken up. I doubt she will for a few hours. I know that Newt would appreciate some company while he's stuck in the hospital today, so would you like to stay with him?"

"Yes please," Credence agreed eagerly. If he and Newt were sitting around all day, Newt might be able to tell him more about how magic worked.

"There's just one condition," Tina said, sounding very serious as she piled the eggs onto two plates. She set one in front of Credence and looked him very firmly in the eyes. "You'll have to take the suitcase with you but do not, _for any reason_ , let that man get up and go inside. I don't care what he says to convince you otherwise. Do you understand?" Credence nodded and Tina smiled. "Good. I trust you, and I know you'll do a good job."

 _I trust you._

Was there any limit to the ways these people made Credence feel welcome?

Credence and Tina wolfed down their eggs. Then Credence changed into his day clothes, Tina put on her grey jacket, and she apparated them to the hospital. She led him through the twisting corridors back to Newt's room. When they entered, Newt was lying on his side with the covers drawn up to his chin, snoring softly. Tina smiled and watched him for a few seconds. Wait a minute, Credence realized. Did Tina _like_ Newt? As in, romantically?

He watched her face carefully. She was giving Newt the same gooey and adoring look that he saw on the faces of young couples skipping back from a date at the cinema. He always watched those couples wistfully, seeing their happiness. There was no doubt that Tina felt that way about Newt.

Tina caught Credence watching her and blushed. He looked away, embarrassed. "I guess I'll just read and wait for him to wake up," Credence whispered. There were a few wizarding magazines lying on the table next to Newt's bed. One of them was open to an article on dragons.

"Good idea," Tina whispered back, still visibly flustered. "You won't…. say anything to Newt, will you?"

"What?" Credence asked, confused. Then he realized what she meant. Newt didn't know that she liked him. "Oh, okay."

"See you this evening. Tell Newt I say hello," she said before she turned and left, shutting the door behind her. Credence sat in the plush chair next to Newt's bed and eagerly picked up a magazine that lay open on the floor. He drank in the images and words, eyes soaking up the advertisements for Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, broomsticks, cauldrons, and Sleekeazy's Hair Potion. He read an article on the growing danger of negatively enchanted silverware, and learned how to carefully inspect forks for hexes before purchasing them. He learned that there was a famous magical bookshop on one of the corners that he used to stand and hand out pamphlets on. How had he missed it?

Rustling from the bed broke Credence's concentration. He looked up and watched as Newt's blue-green eyes blinked open sleepily. The wizard glanced over, and gave Credence a reserved but sincere smile. "G'morning," he murmured. Pickett uncurled from where he had been dozing on Newt's pillow.

"Good morning," Credence responded.

Newt stretched and pushed himself into a sitting position. "I think this arm is finally healed," he commented, rotating his wrist. Credence smiled a little. "Hopefully they'll let me go. I've never been away from my creatures for so long." He glanced at the suitcase that Credence had placed in the corner upon his arrival.

"Tina told me not to let you in there," Credence said sorrowfully.

Newt chuckled. "Of course she did. It would be very much like me to try. I don't enjoy hospitals. I could've used some nundu saliva to cure the burns just as quickly."

"Mr. Scamander?"

"Call me Newt."

"Newt…. What exactly is in your case?" Credence asked. Newt's eyes brightened.

"In that case are some of the most amazing creatures in the world," he said softly. "I pick them up on my travels. Most of them were trafficked, injured, or in bad condition. I nurture them until they can go back to their natural habitat, and then I release them. Some of them can't go back into the wild, and I keep those."

"How do you fit all of them in a suitcase?" Credence asked incredulously.

"Magic," Newt reminded him with a hint of a smile.

"Right." Credence kept forgetting about that. It still boggled his mind.

The two of them sat in silence for a few minutes. "I suppose Jacob was Obliviated?" Newt asked. Credence shrugged.

"I don't really know. I think so. Queenie cried a lot last night."

Newt looked away, chewing on his bottom lip as he pondered. Finally, he looked towards his suitcase and then back at Credence. Credence opened his mouth to remind Newt what Tina had said, but the red-head cut him off. "Would you mind doing me a favor Credence?"

#

Credence walked down the street, marveling at how normal everything looked. There was no sign of the path of destruction that he had left in his wake. The air was damp, but it was fresh and crisp. In his hand was a very heavy suitcase. Newt had waved his wand and cast a spell over it to make it lighter, but he had warned Credence that the charm would go away the second Credence put the suitcase down. There couldn't be any lingering magic.

Credence let his mind wander as he thought about his mild horror when Newt had asked him to go into his suitcase and extract some heavy bird eggshells from Newt's desk. He was very nervous to enter, but he found that it was just like walking into another room. A world within the world. It was all very mind-boggling. He had grabbed the silver shells and brought them up to the hospital room before he had a chance to look around that much, and he really wanted another good look. Newt could see that, because he promised Credence that the moment he was better he would take the boy on a proper tour of it.

Credence finally reached his destination" the canning factory on the corner of 4th and 5th street. He was just in time, too. A whistle rang and hordes of workers emerged, carrying their lunchboxes. It was the lunch break. Credence's eyes searched the crowd for Jacob's form. Finally, he found him. Jacob looked very worn down and depressed, wearing a dirty uniform. Credence felt sorry for him, but he hoped Newt's surprise gift would change everything.

Speaking of the gift, Credence still had to deliver it. He stepped into the horde, going against the general flow of human traffic until he approached Jacob. The baker was staring at the ground as he shuffled along, so Credence had no problem ramming his shoulder against Jacob's, causing them both to drop their cases. Credence swiftly grabbed Jacob's and hurried along, muttering an apology.

Once he had turned the corner, he peeked back around and watched Jacob open the suitcase and read the note. He looked really confused and bewildered. He looked up, trying to catch a glimpse of who it could possibly be from. Credence ducked his head back around the corner and started back towards the hospital. His heart felt light and joyful. He really hoped Jacob got his bakery.


End file.
